Chapter 1

Chapter 1

On the day I was sentenced to death by lethal injection, my parents were throwing a grand press conference. They were announcing their adopted son, Landon, as the sole heir to the Crawford family enterprise.

My sister, Renee, was newly engaged to him, completing their perfect little family portrait.

As for me, the biological son who had tried to expose Landon's sick ambition? I was cast out as an ungrateful traitor, disowned and left to rot.

Then I died, and the universe gave me a second chance.

I was done begging for their scraps of affection.

In this life, I would live solely for myself.

...

I woke up back in the past.

It was the exact afternoon Landon was first brought into our home.

I never imagined the heavens would grant me a clean slate.

Landon was the son of my dad's childhood friend and a nationally recognized math prodigy. His parents had tragically died in a car wreck, and Landon had been kidnapped in the chaos that followed.

My father spent a small fortune and months of searching to track him down. Heartbroken by the boy's tragic story, my parents decided to take him in and raise him as their own blood.

The second my mother saw him, tears flooded her eyes. She pulled him into a desperate hug, sobbing, "You poor boy, you've been through hell."

Renee stood beside her, dabbing at her red-rimmed eyes. I was the only one standing back, staring at Landon with ice in my veins, because I knew the sadistic demon lurking behind that innocent, doe-eyed face.

Mom urged Landon to sit on the sofa and rest. Blushing, he shrank back and whispered, "I am too dirty, ma'am... I don't want to ruin your nice couch."

That staged display of pitiful obedience instantly melted my family's bleeding hearts.

Even my father, a man who prided himself on never shedding a tear, wiped moisture from his eyes. He ruffled Landon's hair and said softly, "Silly boy. This is your home now, and we are your Mom and Dad."

Landon nodded shyly, his eyes darting toward Renee's homework on the coffee table. With a single glance, he rattled off the solution to an advanced calculus problem she had been crying over for hours.

Renee instantly became his biggest fan, gushing about what a true genius he was. My parents exchanged proud smiles, convinced Landon was the best thing that could ever happen to this family.

Throughout the entire scene, nobody asked for my opinion. The moment this adopted golden boy stepped through the door, their biological son ceased to exist.

I remained silent, waiting for the trap I knew was coming.

Right on cue, Landon made his first move, just like in my previous life.

His eyes welled up with tears as he looked at me. "Sean, why are you glaring at me like that?"

He hung his head, looking utterly crushed. "I'm sorry... I never meant to steal your parents. If you hate me, I can leave right now."

Naturally, he did not budge an inch from the sofa.

Dad turned to me with a stern scowl. "Sean! You're his older brother now. Treat him with respect, understand?"

Renee sneered, crossing her arms. "Sean is just jealous because Landon is smarter than him. Landon is a real prodigy, not a fake overachiever like you."

Landon turned pale on command, cowering behind Mom. "Please don't fight. I didn't mean to outshine Sean... it's all my fault."

Mom swept Landon into her arms, shooting me a look of pure disgust. "Sean Crawford! I raised you to be humble and gracious. How can you be so petty and jealous?"

"Apologize to Landon right now!" Dad bellowed.

Landon peeked out from Mom's shoulder, flashing me a smirk so venomous and gloating it made my stomach churn.

I bit my tongue, the brutal memories of my past life flashing before my eyes.

They had screamed at me just like this back then, declaring Landon was their real family before disowning me without a second thought. When Landon framed me for murder, they were the ones who pushed me straight to death row.

I should have realized it long ago: the second Landon crossed our threshold, these people were no longer my family.

They were spellbound by his act, blindly choosing him even when he eventually bled the Crawford family dry.

In my past life, I tried desperately to wake them up, only to be branded a bitter, incompetent loser.

If the Crawford family wanted to march straight into the hell Landon built for them, I was not going to stop them.

This time, I was playing for myself.